


Alone All Along

by Abyssal_Paladin



Category: Dark Souls (Video Games), Dark Souls II
Genre: M/M, Probably ooc, Raime is an ass, Velstadt needs a hug, my first work posted here pls be gentle, past Raime/Velstadt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 15:08:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15488640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abyssal_Paladin/pseuds/Abyssal_Paladin
Summary: Velstadt the Royal Aegis now serves under a new king, but there is one man that he can never forget, no matter how much he tried. After searching through all of Drangleic, he finally arrives at Brume Tower, where memories return along with a rather familiar face.





	Alone All Along

Velstadt the Royal Aegis was a loyal knight. He had always been, it was all that seemed right to him at this point.

The Aegis let out a soft exhale of breath as he stood before the open archway that would at last lead to the throne of the Iron King. He was far, _far away_ from his post, away from his king, his new king that he had pledged his loyalty to. A thought that felt rather strange to consider in his mind, for how long he had bent his knees to Vendrick and Vendrick alone, before the Knight King had came to him.

An ache bloomed in his chest, and thoughts crawled through his mind while he walked through the arch. He had left his king with only the vaguest of explanations why he had to come here, to this ash laden tower darkened by the power of the dark.

Velstadt stopped before the blade embedded into the ground. It reminded him too much of a tombstone, erected in the honor of the fallen during the long war with the giants ages before.

_Oh Gods..._

He squeezed his eyes shut. The memories had returned and overwhelmed his mind, reminders of the time long past and of the regret that had always haunted his dreams and his waking moments since that _one faithful day so many years ago_. The war would always be on his mind, of course, nobody could forget the horrors of war, of memories of friends dying on the front lines, their bodies maimed and sometimes completely unrecognizable thanks to the brutality of the giants. But _they_ always had each other's backs.

_Raime, oh Raime._

The Raven Knight had a quiet demeanor, one which most certainly did not fit the fiery temper embodied underneath that was given by his ferocious fighting style. His shield and sword made the _perfect_ complement to his own style, brandishing his Sacred Chime Hammer with no other protection save for the armor upon his back. Together, they had been _the_ duo to be reckoned with.

And the memory of it made his heart ache even more.

Before Nashandra, before their queen came to Drangleic, he remembered the echoes of the other knight's laughter.

Raime was, in the simplest of senses, a wild lover that cared little of if others knew of their relationship, even if there was a certain threat of scandal that came along with if anyone is to know of it. He always laughed at how ridiculous it would be, that anyone is to have opinions that he couldn't give "half a horse's hindquarters" of regarding their love.

Velstadt blinked.

The trails of tears running down his face, how long had he been crying?

"I'm sorry..." His voice choked upon the words that he only managed in the barest of whispers.

Metal and leather squealed, his hand balled up into a fist at his side. Gods, _if only things could have turned out differently_ :

He loved the gloomy knight's mouth, aye. One second those lips could be curled up in a gentle smile that made his heart flutter, yet _just_ as fast Raime could scowl, spit fire and poison from his mouth at those that even mildly upsetted him. Those same lips that which had left tentalizing kisses upon his neck and whispered words of passion that was reserved for only him in their little adventures in the darkened corners of the castle where nobody could see when they had their rare moment of time free, or during those long nights in each other's embrace.

That same mouth would turn to spit words of anger and of hate on that one day.

_"How could you not see?! How blind are you, Velstadt?!!"_

Instinct made him bring his hammer up and block against the blow the Raven Knight lashed out with his sword. He never wanted to hurt him, he never even wanted to fight him to begin with!

But instead of reasoning with him, he had truly been blind: _"You're surely wrong in the head, Raime, the Queen means nothing but the very best for our lord, she was the one that had warned us of the giants, remember?"_

_Everything_ was laid out in front of him, clear as day, yet he chose to side with his king.

Raime had hissed in anger, and lashed out with even more fervor than before.

They danced around each other in a duel. Everything that they had once known became weapons, flung at each other with only the intention to hurt the other. He tried so hard to hold back from actually injuring him, swatting the sword from the knight's grip and leaving it skittering across the ground.

Velstadt wrenched his helmet from his head and tossed it aside. Tears flowed freely from his eyes as he wept, bitterly and with the regret and guilt clawing at his heart. He begged Vendrick to take mercy on his former left hand, to exile him instead of having him executed -

" _Why_ are you here?"

The voice that haunted him for so long snapped him out of his thoughts. Velstadt took a step back, the figure in front of him taking a step forward.

" _Velstadt_." Venom permeated the voice of the raven knight, spitting his name out. "I asked you a question."

"Raime..." His throat closed, refusing to cooperate with him. "I came here to apologize."

"..." The helmet concealed the raven's face, though he still felt the heated glare of the man behind it. Velstadt's eyes slid shut, exhaling slowly and letting the Sacred Chime Hammer drop from his hand and thud onto the ash-covered floor: a prickling sensation at his throat told him of the blade pressed up against his pulse.

"I _trusted_ you, Velstadt." Every word was a spear, jabbing deeply into the Aegis' heart. Raime pressed his Fume sword deeper into Velstadt's throat, not enough to kill, but still enough to draw blood, as evident from the warmth that started to trickle down his skin. "I _loved_ you, I tried to warn you."

"I know..." A sob shook the Aegis' body. All semblance of dignity dropped from the knight. He could no longer bear it any more, it ached, it hurt too much. The walls he built up over the years crumbled down into nothingness in the face of the flood of emotions, those years of loneliness spent in the crypt, watching over his wasting king in the darkness of the crypt, with nothing but the darkness of the crypt and the moans of the undead buried there as his only companions.

Raime hates him, how could he not? He brought it upon himself with his blind loyalty to his king.

"I should kill you where you stand." Raime spat.

_For betraying you? For shaming you and exiling you from Drangleic?_

"If it would fill the void in your heart..." Velstadt whispered.

"..." Silence.

The Aegis dared himself to look up into the visor covered face of the Raven. The black helmet that Raime wore hid any and all expression the knight might have, though he felt the man's icy look behind it.

"Pathetic, is this the knight that I knew from the war with the giants?" The sword at his throat lowered, though the venom in his voice had never lessened. "You disgust me, Velstadt."

"Raime... I missed you... I -" The words choked in his throat, burning his tongue as tears fell from his face. He was sobbing now

"Begone from my sight." Four words, short and simple, the raven sheathing his familiar blade in its sheath by his side, his other slinging yanking the sword from the ground like it was some sort of wooden plaything. "Years ago, perhaps it would have been satisfying to spill your blood upon the grounds, now? Just get out of my sight."

_"Oh my dearest, my Aegis, sing for me."_

The voice in his head made a stark contrast to the words spat out by the knight before him. Velstadt let out a sob, his hand falling at his side after a feeble attempt reaching out toward him, at the retreating back of the raven knight.

"I love you..."

Raime glanced over his shoulder, though that was all that he offered, turning away in finality, never to look back.

"I love you..."

Velstadt let out something between a sob and a whimper. He truly, truly was alone now, more alone than he ever was, the knife from ages ago finally buried up to its hilt in his heart.

**Author's Note:**

> 4AM me decides to torture Velstadt because that's how I show my love. There's not enough content for Raime/Velstadt dammit!


End file.
